Ways & Means requires AOE study of transportation and new forms to track tuition students
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Summary
The committee added language directing the Agency of Education to develop accessible forms to collect tuition-student data and ordered a school transportation report by 12/01/2026 covering district costs, vehicle ownership, per-mile costs for CTE and special-education transport, and recommendations for radius rules and regional transportation arrangements.
The Ways & Means committee on April 8 incorporated new reporting and data-collection directives into its amendment package to Act 73. Members approved language asking the Agency of Education to develop a form to collect information on tuition students that will be accessible in paper and electronic formats and to submit a comprehensive school transportation report to relevant committees by December 1, 2026.
Why it matters: The requested data will inform weighting categories, transportation reimbursements and potential changes under a foundation formula. Transportation and tuition-student counts affect per-district funding calculations and equity for rural and sparse districts.
Committee counsel (James) explained the report requirement: "On or before 12/01/2026 AOE shall submit a written report to the education committees, the transportation committees, and the senate committees on education, transportation, and finance, regarding school transportation," including district-by-district information on grades operated, whether vehicles are owned or leased, total transportation grant awards, local transportation spending, per-mile CTE transportation costs, McKinney-Vento costs, and costs tied to extraordinary special-education transportation and individualized education programs.
Members pressed staff on timing and scope. Several lawmakers noted the form must be ready in time to inform October student counts and to be accessible to families; one member asked that the form include tuition-student transportation costs and whether districts rely on public transit or cross-border services. Staff agreed to include a current-landscape section and to solicit stakeholder input so the form works for families and business officials.
On transportation, committee members requested recommendations on radius rules for population centers versus sparse areas and asked AOE to evaluate whether a weighted sparsity grant or per-mile reimbursement would better serve districts.
The committee did not complete all wordsmithing on these sections and directed staff to continue offline drafting and to follow up with AOE about feasibility and dates.
